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So… Frozen Fun ends in Disneyland on May 15th, and Frozen Summer Fun LIVE won’t return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios until June 17th. That’s one full Frozen-free month… What’s an Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf fan to do?!?

What will we do when there’s no Frozen Fun?!

Fret not, Frozen fans! In the downtime between the two events, Disney is releasing a few treats in honor of “Frozen Fever,” the film short that can currently be seen on the big screen prior to showings of the live-action “Cinderella” film.

As in the film short, these treats go about the task of celebrating Anna’s birthday… and what’s a birthday celebration without a little cake? Anna’s Happy Birthday Cupcake is a vanilla cupcake with blue buttercream frosting, topped with marshmallows, snowflake candies, and a white chocolate Olaf.

We’re wandering the World in search of eats, sweets, and all sorts of treats! Join us for another trip around the World to find out What’s New!

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Frozen Summer Fun

In case you haven’t heard, Frozen Summer Fun is happening all over Hollywood Studios!

Elsa and Anna Letting It Go!

And of course this event includes a few extra snacks inspired by the film and its characters, such as specialty cupcakes (we loved the Olaf Carrot Cake), Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, and specialty drinks.

Disney Restaurant Refurbishments

Amidst the wintery fun, changes for the future are happening at Hollywood Studios, too. Rumor has it that the L.A. Prop Cinema Storage shop might just be the next Starbucks stop in the Parks. The refurbishment is scheduled to last until March 2015.

Located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, The Wave is unlike any other restaurant at Disney World due to its emphasis on sustainable eating – many of the ingredients used in the dishes here are sourced locally.

The Wave also has the added benefit of being a mere stroll away from the Magic Kingdom, making this a great and convenient place to start the day when you’re headed into Disney World’s original park!

Atmosphere

You’ll find The Wave on the Lobby Level of the Contemporary. As you enter from the front, you’ll notice a faint blue glow coming from the end of the concierge services desk and to the left.

The Contemporary Lobby Level

That blue stems from the unique “tunnel entrance” that lights the way to the eatery. Something about this reminds me of the Contemporary when I was a kid way back in the day.

The Wave Entrance

For one of the resort’s more recent additions, the entrance is retro Disney World, and I love it for that. (Does anyone else remember watching Disney movies in a small theater on this floor, by the way, or has my memory stored that incorrectly? I’m more certain of my memories of the Air Hockey table in the old Game Room… .)

After walking through the tunnel you’re greeted at the check-in counter. There is a sign to remind guests that The Wave is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Upon entering the dining room, the vibe changes entirely. Decor changes from cool blue to warm earth tones, and the theme of “waves” is echoed throughout the chairs at the tables — and even on the ceiling and in the lighting.

Dining Room

Table Seating

Ceiling Lanterns

There is little else in the way of detailing, in favor of simplicity. However, the artwork that has been selected brings the focus back to fresh ingredients.

Artwork at The Wave

Eats

Upon being seated, our server came to greet us right away (and he remained attentive throughout the meal). After walking us through the menu, he invited us to view the breakfast buffet prior to making our decisions.

I’ve enjoyed The Wave’s buffet a few times, so for this visit I chose from the menu for a change of pace. But because the buffet here is noteworthy, I’d like to give you a peek before going into our entrees.

Where lunch and dinner entrees can change fairly frequently at The Wave due having a sustainable menu, several of the breakfast buffet offerings remain consistent. From right to left, the buffet begins with a cold section featuring, among other items, salmon and hard-boiled eggs, and fresh fruit.

Tables in Wonderland has announced a March event at The Wave of American Flavors in the Contemporary Resort. And Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge has announced a March Wine Dinner. Check out the details here!

An updated Disney Snacks chapter, including our list of dozens of must-try snacks AND our Top 11 Must-Have Snacks for 2014.

An updated section on birthday parties and specialty cakes in Disney World

A comprehensive, 10-page chapter of What’s New in Disney World in 2014, including new restaurants, menu updates, and more

Details about how the My Magic+ Planning System and FastPass+ will affect your vacation planning

Our picks for the 11 Great Snacks you must try this year

Scavenger Hunts, Trivia, and Top 5 List updates

Bingo Cards

Updates on all pertinent facts such as dining hours, prices, resources, phone numbers, and restaurant closures/openings

All new restaurant additions, closures, refurbishments, and added dining experiences

And much more!

But, of course we’re offering a discount for our Grand Launch week!! Again, to celebrate the launch and to thank you for your support of the blog, we’ll be offering the Guide for $4 off its standard rate for a limited time! Order your copy now at DFBGuide.com and use code: [Read more…]

From Margaritas to Ice Cream to Creme Brulee and more, we’re always collecting options and photos to share with you. And we quickly realized that there was one salty snack missing from our gallery list! What’s a trip to Disney without at least one bucket of Popcorn?

I think Disney popcorn is some of the best popcorn anywhere, and while newfangled snacks and treats will come and go, the classics will never go away.

You’ll find carts selling popcorn all over Walt Disney World and Disneyland, as well as in some of the resorts that also draw visitors, like Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. But there’s even more variety to it than that, so we’ve put together this handy gallery to showcase all the great popcorny options available!

You Never Get Tired of Disney Popcorn!

We’re going to share with you some of our favorite popcorn and popcorn-related goodness, but be sure to let us know your favorites or anything we don’t mention in comments below! Also, please keep in mind, especially in regard to menu items that include popcorn, that menus are constantly changing, so you may not always see these items when you visit a restaurant.

Disney Popcorn: A Classic

In need of some popcorn at Disney? You never have far to look. In fact, if your first stop is Magic Kingdom, you encounter a popcorn stand as soon as you set foot onto Main Street USA! Some of our readers say that Disney popcorn is the best-tasting in the world — and who am I to disagree?

Disney Popcorn!

And another great bit of news — Disney popcorn is vegan and gluten-free! Popcorn is naturally devoid of gluten. But the kernels are popped in a combination of coconut, corn, and canola oil, and are seasoned with kosher salt, so there are no animal products used. (Disney cautions that because the popcorn is prepared in outdoor locations, there is potential for cross-contamination. When in doubt of a food’s ingredients, be sure to ask for an ingredient list.)

Souvenir Buckets

If you think the fun stops with the snack, well…then let me show you something completely awesome. In addition to the crunchy goodness, you can also amass a completely fabulous collection of souvenir buckets should you be so inclined.

Collect different ones from each Disney park! Here’s one from Animal Kingdom, [Read more…]

Tables in Wonderland has announced an April Discovery Dinner, as well as a great perk for the next couple of months!

La Noube Discount - click on image for a larger photo!

First up, members will receive a discount on Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba tickets in Orlando’s Downtown Disney from April 9 – May 11 and May 28 – June 21, 2013! Next, another Discovery Dinner at The Wave will be happening in April. And this one features Beer!

La Nouba Discount

Tables in Wonderland members will receive a discount on tickets for themselves and up to three guests at 6pm and 9pm performances on Tuesdays – Saturdays from April 9 – May 11 and May 28 – June 21.

The Wave Discovery Dinner

Lots of fun to be had at the April Beer Discovery Dinner at the Wave!

Click image for larger photo!

Location: The Wave…of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary ResortDate: Thursday, April 18, 2013 6:30pm Reception; 7pm DinnerCost: $110 per person, including tax and gratuityDress Code: Casual Evening AttireMenu: See below for the full menu and booking information!

The Wave welcomes Brewmaster James Emmerson of Full Sail Brewery. This brewery has earned Oregon Brewery of the Year 2013 and numerous other awards.

James Emmerson attended brewing school in 1987. He started his brewing career at Sieben’s Brewery in Chicago before being hired as Brewmaster at Full Sail Brewing Co. [Read more…]

A while back, we polled Disney Food Blog readers — Disney fans who have been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt — on their top Disney Dining Tips.

Not surprisingly, the top tip mentioned was the advice to make Disney Dining Reservations, since you don’t want to be shut out of your favorites or from the most popular restaurants. So this time around we thought it would be fun to ask about their SECOND best Disney Dining Tips!

Read on to see what our Disney Food Blog twitter followers shared as their second best Disney dining tips, and be sure to share in the comments whether you agree or disagree! Share YOUR tips to help your fellow Disney lovers!

Enjoy Some Disney Snacks

We LURVE our Disney snacks around here! And so do our readers! Many of the tips we received were about the favorite classic pre- and post-meal goodies we all love to tuck into in the Parks.

While Brian C. had a unique, sweet option on the mind (“Try the beignets!”), Twitter pal Amber B. writes, “Do NOT skip the Schoolbread!” We can heartily agree!

Eat at “Off Hours”

Several of our twitter friends recommended taking advantage of “off” meal times by enjoying a late breakfast/early lunch, or a late lunch/early dinner! This is when the restaurants are less likely to be packed with families sticking to the traditional meal times.

Coral Reef in Epcot is even more serene during non-traditional dining hours!

Paul B. tweets, “Off hours eating leads to taking advantage of shorter attraction lines during the normal meal times.” So while everyone else is waiting in the lunch line, you’re able to hop onto Splash Mountain with a much shorter wait.

And when you are ready to enjoy your late lunch, not only will you have a quieter, more intimate meal, but you’re more likely to get a coveted window seat or other special seating area (like a car-booth at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater). Dining bonus!

One of my favorite Disney Dining tips for saving money in Disney World is to exchange two meals for one — especially when you’re trading breakfast and lunch for an awesome brunch!

In the past, a main planning focus for many guests has been getting to the parks early so that they can grab fastpasses for favorite rides — or ride things before the crowds arrive.

But now that MyMagic+ is going to make reserving later-in-the-day ride times that much easier, you might be able to take a few days to sleep in — and save some dough at the same time!

So I’m adding to our Best Disney Restaurants Series and outlining a few of my personal favorite places to start the day off slow at Walt Disney World. I can’t wait to hear your suggestions, too!

Trattoria al Forno at the Boardwalk Resort

In spring of 2017, Trattoria al Forno introduced a brand new character brunch experience called the Bon Voyage Character Breakfast. And this character breakfast isn’t just about the princesses. In addition to character meet and greets with Rapunzel and Ariel, diners also get to meet Flynn Ryder and Prince Eric, making this one of the only character meals with princes!

Prince Eric

And the food is pretty exciting, too! Pastries and entrees are designed to reflect themes and icons from Tangled and The Little Mermaid, making this meal as fun to look at as it is to eat! We particularly enjoyed the Tower of Pancakes meant to represent Rapunzel’s tower!

Pastry assortment

Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge

Your African adventure begins the moment you arrive at this exotic resort and take in the splendor of the lobby. As you make your way to Boma, dark woods and thatched roofs mingle with the delicious smells to make you feel like you’ve entered an African marketplace for breakfast.

Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge

The buffet here is stocked with popular brunch options like omelets, pancakes, french toast, bacon, sausage, carved ham, breakfast potatoes, cereal, oatmeal, and scrambled eggs; but they also serve up more multi-cultural dishes, including African pastries, quinoa porridge, and bobotie — a type of quiche.

Seriously, you could totally go for that cinnamon roll right now, couldn’t you??

Fun updates for Tables in Wonderland members! Tables in Wonderland has announced a Discovery Dinner at The Wave…of American Flavors at the Contemporary Resort and a Special Event at the Design & Display Warehouse for February. Both are NOW available for booking!

Tables in Wonderland Special Event - click image for larger version

Tables in Wonderland Design and Display Warehouse Special Event

The Park Event Operations Design and Display team dreams, designs, and creates themed atmosphere settings for Conventions, Special Events, and many other activities throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. From concepts to renderings, through finished construction, the Design and Display team can bring any “theme” to life.

They use their talent, experience, and design skills to design and build custom pieces for events. With hundreds of props, sets, and backgrounds in the warehouse, they create the perfect atmosphere and surroundings for events. This is your opportunity to peek “backstage”, and see historical Disney pieces like the Nautilus and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride! Come meet the Design and Display team, learn about what they do, see all the props up close, and enjoy a Buffet Reception with fellow Tables in Wonderland members!

During this event, local farmer from Cahaba Clubs Herbal Outpost in Odessa, Florida will be represented. In 2000, Marvin Wilhite began growing hydroponic micro-greens, micro-herbs, micro-vegetables, and more. Cahaba products are used by chefs for garnish and also to add unique flavors to signature dishes.

In addition, former cast member Chris Doncsecz and wine Scaole Fine Wines representative will be in attendance.